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I think some of you don’t know but 2010 has been a very complicated year for me. There were many ups and many downs as well. One of the downs was when I had a miscarriage on my supposed to be 3^rd child last June 2010. I was diagnosed with a blighted ovum and there was no other way but to abort it. I was devastated of course because it was my 2^nd second miscarriage. If that pregnancy has progress I should be on my 8^th month now. But I got over it now because I got pregnant again after 2 months! lol!

Looks like the husband doesn’t need a natural male enhancement for me to bear a child huh?lol! Anyways, everything depends on my body now, good thing after 3 months of bearing our baby I’m still doing well. I just hope until the day I give birth everything will turn out fine.   

Yup! As of this date I’m on my 14th week!

Here’s how my baby looks like at this age. Got this from Baby Center.

Crown to rump, your baby is around 3 and a half inches / 9 centimeters long and weighs one and a half ounces / 43 grams. The body is now growing faster than the head. This week, its parchment-thin skin covers itself with lanugo (ultra-fine, downy hair that usually disappears before birth). Though eyebrows are beginning to grow and the hair on top of the head is sprouting, this hair may change in both texture and color after birth.

About now, the fetus can grasp, squint, frown, and grimace. It may even be able to suck its thumb. Researchers believe these and other movements probably correspond to the development of impulses in the brain.

Go ahead my little one, grow and make us proud.

High-protein diets are all the rage, but new evidence indicates they may make it more difficult to conceive.

Research from the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine in Englewood found that when mice were fed diets containing 25% protein, only 65% of their embryos developed into fetuses, compared to 85% of the embryos from mice on normal diets (14% protein). What’s more, just 35% of the high-protein mice’s fetuses had normal gene development, compared to 85% in the control group. According to researchers, the elevated ammonia levels that result from high-protein meals cause abnormal embryo development. The American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians discourages pregnancy dieting and urges women to eat a well-balanced regimen of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.

All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.

For my readers =)

Nothing takes the edge off a stressy, exhausting, I-hate-my-cankles kinda day like a little preggo primping. But you’ve likely heard some scary rumors — hair dye causes birth defects, pedicures trigger labor — that may have you thinking twice about your next spa session. What’s urban legend and what’s fact? “There are so many myths about what’s unsafe; it’s hard to know what to believe,” says Karen Boyle, MD, an assistant professor of urology, obstetrics, and gynecology at Johns Hopkins Hospital (and who’s 34 weeks along herself). Here’s the myth-busting truth about booking that rubdown, mani-pedi, and more.

Hair Dye

So you weren’t born with those sun-kissed highlights? Pregnancy doesn’t have to out your little secret. “There are a lot of chemicals used in hair dye, but no well-designed studies have found any direct link to birth defects or childhood cancers,” says Richard Beigi, MD, an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center. “While you don’t want to be exposed constantly, dyeing your hair once or twice is unlikely to be a major problem.” To be on the safe side, wait till the second or third trimester, when most of baby’s major organs have finished developing, or opt for highlights over single-process color. Since highlights aren’t applied directly to the scalp, the chemicals are significantly less likely to enter your bloodstream.

Bottom line: Safe to schedule, but wait until trimesters 2 and 3.

Mani-Pedi

Hands down, the experts we talked to all felt that mani-pedis are totally fine for preggos. “Your nails are growing and getting stronger now, so take advantage,” says Boyle. Though polish does contain trace amounts of harsh chemicals, they’re not absorbed by your nail beds and have never been linked to birth defects in babies, she says. A likelier problem: Nausea, if the salon’s not well-ventilated. “Some of those fumes are pretty strong, so ask to sit by the door or a window if you get queasy easily,” she advises.

Bottom line: Safe to schedule in any trimester.

Hot Tubs, Steam Rooms & Saunas

If taking a dip relaxes you, skip the Jacuzzi and dunk your bump in a (warm, not super-hot) bathtub instead. “We know increased core temperature is linked to birth defects, especially in the first trimester,” says Susan Hollander, CNM and ob-gyn nurse-practitioner. Most hot tubs are easily over 100 degrees, plus you’re usually completely submerged from the neck down. “But baths aren’t as hot to begin with, and at least your arms, knees, and shoulders are sticking out, so your overall temperature doesn’t climb to those dangerous levels.” Avoid steam rooms and saunas too — the excess heat and steam can also make you more wobbly than usual, and your balance isn’t exactly what it was pre-pg.

All content , including medical opinion and any other health-related information, is for informational purposes only and should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.